


the edge of it

by wednesday



Category: The Chronicles of Riddick Series
Genre: M/M, Stabbing, immediately post-movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29271399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wednesday/pseuds/wednesday
Summary: Vaako has done his best to not think about what awaits him on the other side of the Threshold. Speculating about such things would in itself be a weakness. Invite doubt.
Relationships: Richard B. Riddick/Vaako
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	the edge of it

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jedibuttercup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedibuttercup/gifts).



Vaako has done his best to not speculate about what awaits him on the other side of the Threshold. He is still, even as he readies his ship and sets course for the gate between universes, grappling with the fact that he has earned the honor of seeing the Underverse at all. He never planned for it, not even when he longed to slay Lord Marshal Zhylaw. All he wanted was to excise a weakness. 

And speculating about such things would in itself be a weakness. Invite doubt. But he is alone on this ship, as he alone shall see beyond the gate. If there is weakness in him now, no one will know. 

So now he stares at the gate to the true death, to transcendence, and for the first time lets himself wonder. He knows the words of the previous Lord Marshals. He has some doubts about Zhylaw, though there is no denying his powers were greater than any before him. His fear however might have warped his perception. 

Vaako does not think he will see any family of his – he has very little memory of his home planet, and the only wife he’s had is still in this ‘verse. Perhaps wisdom is what he will be granted. That is what he needs most, above immortality, above even the strength of the soulpower. Knowledge where to lead the Necromongers, answers from the previous Lord Marshals. 

Not all of them. 

He has seen Zhylaw’s fear and he would not trust any advice of his to be untainted by it. 

And Riddick. 

_Lord Marshal_ Riddick. 

A Lord Marshal that stayed unconverted. That did not care to lead the Necromongers at all. And yet he held the least weakness of all those Vaako has seen lead or be in line for it since he himself was converted. 

And he died in due time and beyond the Threshold Vaako could see him again. Though what advice Riddick would give him, Vaako doesn’t dare imagine. Nothing that would help him or could be called wisdom at all. Yet Vaako almost anticipates finding what waits for him on the other side more now that he has some expectation to see Riddick once more. 

The last of the integrity tests finishes and the landing locks disengage. Vaako takes a step towards the console. A shadow flickers in the very corner of his sight and he freezes. 

“Miss me?” a low, familiar voice drawls right behind Vaako. So close that he would be feeling the heat of Riddick’s breath on the back of his neck, were he not wearing armor. 

Vaako turns and barely catches a glimpse of whoever speaks with that voice before he is slammed into the side of the cabin with overwhelming force. His armor creaks but holds, doesn’t break. There might be a dent in the hull, though. 

Before him, forearm pressing on Vaako’s throat, stands Riddick. 

“Impossible. You are dead,” is all Vaako can think to say. 

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Riddick says, as always a tinge of uncalled for amusement in his voice. “Lucky for you, I stopped for a visit with our friend Krone. To my surprise, it wasn’t you who ordered the ambush.” 

An ambush. That is not what commander Krone’s report said. Vaako can see now that more than just the manner of Riddick’s death was inaccurate in that report. 

For a moment, Riddick's hands relax and Vaako thinks he will be released. But then Riddick slams him against the wall again and presses his forearm against Vaako’s throat even harder. 

“Unlucky for you,” he starts, and the way his teeth show and eyes flash with every word reminds Vaako of the unstoppable force of a conquest icon energy wave. “ _you_ were the one who I made my deal with. And _you_ were the one who sent me to _Not_ Furya.” 

The ship’s engines power up and with a muffled clang it starts the journey towards the Threshold. Riddick glances at the view in front of the ship, and dismisses it as unimportant. Then he glances down, knocks on Vaako’s armor and adds, “And took my stuff.” 

“Apologies,” Vaako says in the least sincere tone possible. “Allow me to return it to you.” He reaches for the clasps of the chestplate and the moment Riddick’s attention wavers in surprise, Vaako draws a knife and stabs him between the ribs. With the wall at his back and Riddick pressed almost chest to chest against him there isn’t enough space for any kind of swing, but the blade is perfectly sharp and sinks in without much resistance. 

Riddick stumbles back two steps, out of reach and stares at the handle sticking out of his side. For a long moment he’s silent and then he throws his head back and laughs. Knife still stuck in him. 

The laughter is loud and deep, almost like a roar to accompany the roar of rage in Vaako’s mind. 

“You left me as next in line. The first among your commanders,” he hisses, as Riddick’s laughter starts to die down. “I had to fight to death an endless line of officers to keep the throne. All convinced I was weak and unsuited _because_ I was the one you named heir. All willing to use any advantage to succeed.” 

Riddick had died and Vaako is still furious at him for it. For repaying Vaako’s loyalty with the honor of becoming the next Lord Marshal. Riddick left him everything he had taken when killing Zhylaw, and Vaako can now admit he hates him for it. 

“You must have won,” Riddick says. For the first time Vaako does as he has only wanted to do in the presence of Riddick and bares his teeth. “And admit it – you had fun.” 

“ _Fun_.” 

“Hmm. Mustn’t have hated it that much, or you wouldn’t have missed,” he says, and without taking his eyes off Vaako taps the handle of the knife still lodged between his ribs. 

“I didn’t miss.” He has only missed once, when Riddick took his kill. 

“Did you now?” Riddick steps closer and without a sliver of fear leans into Vaako’s space. Braces himself with an arm against the wall right next to Vaako’s head. “So you were _aiming_ for nonlethal?” The smile on Riddick’s face looks more animal than man. Too wild and dangerous. “Because I’m very sure you know which ribs to aim between to get at the aorta. At the _heart_.” 

The worst of it is, Riddick isn’t wrong. 

The lights of the Threshold flood the ship before Vaako comes up with an answer. Whatever comes next, he is now sure he is at the very least going to see Riddick in the Underverse. 


End file.
